Stolen Glimpses
by Cinnamon-apple Tea
Summary: A vampire and a hunter, a pureblood and an ex-human. But together, they're not so different from other couples. Stolen glimpses at Zero and Kaname's relationship.
1. Pillow Talk

**Chapter Title: Pillow Talk**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed. Mildly suggestive themes though nothing really happens.

**A/N**: I know I should probably be working on Crescent Road but I have a major writer's block on that story. Instead I've found myself bitten with some fluffy little bunnies and couldn't help but write one of them. This one's just a fluffy little one shot on a scene that wouldn't leave my mind alone. The timeline is based on the assumption that Kaname and Zero have somehow become a couple not too long before this story. There is no character development so bear with me if their behavior seems OOC and sudden. I am not very good at fluffiness either so please don't be too harsh. :) I hope you enjoy!

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**Before You Read**: This was originally a one-shot under the story title 'Pillow Talk.' It has now become a part of a series so those of you who have already read that should skip this first chapter. The series will be loosely tied together but each chapter will be able to be read as stand-alones. The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

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It was a little past dawn and all was quiet in the Moon Dorms. Few vampires were willingly up and about at such an hour. But in one of the rooms, an alarm started beeping.

Zero groaned softly and tried to shut out the beeping even as his mind began to sluggishly surface from sleep. If the alarm clock were a sentient being, he would have asked for five more minutes… The prefect was still trying to muster the will power needed to wake up when there was a sharp crack and the alarm clock stopped its insistent beeping. Violet eyes shot open before they narrowed to shoot a glare at the figure beside him.

"Kaname, you really need to stop doing that. That was my third alarm clock in less than two weeks."

The hunter's tone was chiding and irritated but there was no real anger. In fact, those who knew him well would have easily seen that he was more exasperatedly amused than angry. It was surprising how the pureblood who had once been such a bitter enemy was now in said pureblood's bed with Zero and had recently become one of the few who could claim to know the hunter that well.

So Kaname's only response to the reproach was to tighten the arm he had around the hunter and mumble, "I'll get you another one."

Zero rolled his eyes with a snort. "That's what you said last time."

"Well, I got you one last time, didn't I? I'll get you one this time, too."

It was typical Kaname-logic and as much as Zero disapproved the use of pureblood powers against his poor, defenseless alarm clocks, he decided trying to convince the stubborn pureblood wasn't worth the trouble this early in the morning. With a shake of his head, the prefect made to sit up only to have the arm around him tighten even further.

"Five more minutes, Zero." Kaname didn't open his eyes even as he shifted to better bask in the warmth of the hunter's frame.

Both vampires had only gotten barely two hours of sleep after their late night tryst and both would have liked to go on sleeping for longer. But Zero still had classes to attend, since he refused to transfer to the Night Class despite much persuasion from the pureblood. Kaname was of the opinion that the prefect was being needlessly mule headed about something so simple and practical, especially since their schedules clashed with them being in different classes. The hunter couldn't completely disagree with him, but Zero was wary of sudden changes. Perhaps sometime in the near future he'd give the transfer serious thought but for now, both of them were forced to work around their different schedules. Hence, the prefect got even less sleep than before and Kaname woke up with him in the mornings, going back to sleep only after the younger vampire left for classes. They always ended up sleeping together in Kaname's room, the Night Class already being aware of their relationship making this easier. And Zero secretly felt that letting Kaname stay over in his room was somehow too private, too intimate. It was silly, he knew, but he couldn't help it and Kaname never pressed the matter. What they had wasn't a perfect arrangement, but it was what they had worked out for the time being.

Zero fought the temptation to just go back to sleep and tried to shake off his lover's arm, though the gesture was half hearted at best. "Kaname, I really need to get up now. I don't want to be late again. I've had enough of Yuuki's sly looks and knowing giggles."

Russet eyes finally opened and while they were still soft with sleep, there was amusement in their depths. "Five minutes won't hurt. I'll even ask the kitchen staff to send up some breakfast to make up for lost time." So saying, the pureblood's eyes closed again as he shifted against the hunter with a contented sigh.

Deciding that forcing his way out of the bed wasn't something that he really wanted anyway, the hunter resigned himself to another morning of arriving late to class. Truth be told, he didn't really care about the teachers' reprimands. He did too well on his tests for his lateness to be a big problem. It was Yuuki's amusement on her knowledge of just why he was late that caused him to fight down a blush and the urge to fidget. He wasn't ashamed but he was by nature a private person.

But maybe if he really stayed for just five more minutes… Feeling sleep tug at his consciousness again, Zero realized he needed to keep his mind busy. He usually wasn't a conversational person but recently, he found himself able to talk to Kaname with little reservation about practically anything. It was freeing and he reveled in it.

"Kaname?" Turning in the embrace, the hunter faced his companion. A hand slid up to run through soft brown locks.

Sleepily, the older vampire opened his eyes again, obviously enjoying and leaning into the petting. "Hmm?"

There was a very short pause before Zero went on. "Why do you always use silk sheets?"

Kaname blinked once at the question, uncharacteristically at a sudden loss for words. It was highly unusual for a pureblood to be caught off guard in such a fashion yet it happened rather often when he was with Zero. It was one of the many reasons why he treasured the silver haired vampire so much. But… why did he only use silk sheets? It was a question that no one, not even himself, had asked before. It was just what he always used. No one had ever given him anything else, and he had not found a need to ask for anything else. Besides, silk felt good against his skin and Zero looked delectable when lying against them. The latter thought caused his hand unintentionally start caressing his lover.

"I like it," was the pureblood's simple answer.

Zero felt the hand that rested against his stomach softly brushing against his skin but resolutely ignored it and the pleasant flutter of butterflies that it caused. "But why do you like it so much? Isn't it inconvenient at times? Silk is more difficult to keep clean than things like cotton. And it's slippery."

Smiling by now at Zero's words, Kaname nuzzled the other's neck affectionately while murmuring against the soft skin there. "Yes, cotton is easier to keep clean but I've hardly had to worry about stains before _you_. Even now when they're ruined, they're hardly treasures worth cherishing. And I'd use the word smooth instead of slippery."

The silver haired prefect was blushing from the other's insinuations about their nightly activities as well as the pleasure that was quickly becoming impossible to ignore. Seriously distracted by Kaname's attention to his neck, the hunter had to force himself to keep his attention on their current conversation. He had started it after all. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't afford to actively respond to the attention unless he wanted to completely miss the first period. Shifting slightly away from the delightful ministrations, Zero pulled his thoughts together long enough to form a response.

"You mean you can just get more? Like the alarm clocks? You're wasting resources. Haven't you ever heard of global warming? And here I thought global warming would be a bigger problem for vampires than humans. Hotter weather, stronger sunlight…"

Not one to give up despite having been deprived of the prefect's neck, Kaname nipped at the hunter's earlobe. A small chuckle escaped his lips, causing Zero to shiver at the gentle vibrations it caused.

"Vampires usually don't go out during the day so global warming doesn't really bother us. Warmer climates could be a bit of a problem, I admit." Raising his head to meet the hunter's eyes, Kaname spoke with interest. "I never knew you were so concerned about the environment."

Half relieved and half disappointed when Kaname raised his head, Zero shrugged. "I'm not. I was just making a point."

A brief kiss was followed by the pureblood's words. "The point being…?"

Zero shrugged again before following the retreating lips for another brief kiss. "You should try cotton sheets, sometime. Anyway, I really have to get up now."

Knowing he had dallied enough the hunter slid away from the other and headed towards the private bathroom at the other side of the room. Zero sometimes groused that the Night Class at Cross Academy really had it easy compared to their human counterparts but at times like these, the perks were very useful.

Kaname followed the hunter's bare form with his eyes, feeling as if he could never get enough of him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay longer?" he practically purred.

The pureblood's tone of voice immediately made Zero tense, equal parts desire and common sense warring in his mind. But with the will power of one who had fought against blood lust for four long years, the younger vampire managed to enter the bathroom and firmly close the door without looking back.

Left alone on his bed, Kaname grinned. He'd seen how tempted Zero had been and though he would have preferred if the prefect had given in, he understood that they each had their classes to go to. The sound of water running easily reached his ears, and the pureblood found that he had to keep his mind occupied lest it wander down paths that would surely test his patience until his own classes were over. Paths involving a naked Zero in a shower and the possibilities…

Shaking his head ruefully, Kaname firmly turned his mind to wondering if Zero had been serious about the bed sheets earlier. Was the hunter asking him to change his sheets to cotton? Or was it just a topic of discussion that randomly occurred to him? It was difficult to read Zero, a trait the pureblood found occasionally frustrating but more often endearing.

It wasn't until a fully dressed Zero was leaving that Kaname got the answer to his question. Having already exchanged a not-so-chaste farewell kiss, Zero was reaching for the door when he paused and turned to meet the other's gaze. Violet eyes held russet for a heartbeat.

"I have cotton sheets. You could try it and see what it's like… tonight." The words were seemingly nonchalant but the slight blush on the hunter's cheeks and the determination in his eyes indicated that this was more significant than he let on.

Kaname understood that. And as the hunter quickly left the room after those words, he felt his lips curving into a genuine smile. It seemed like he was doomed to many hours of impatience now despite his earlier efforts but he wasn't complaining. How could he when for once in both his and Zero's lives, things finally felt so right?

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Thanks for reading. Please review, they would be much appreciated! :D


	2. When It Rains

**Chapter Title: When It Rains**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed. Sappy-ness.

**A/N**: I couldn't help but give into another fluffy bunny. So I decided to write these one-shot type stories whenever I could and tie them together into a series. Each chapter will be for the most part, separate events happening in the course of Kaname and Zero's relationship. The stories will be loosely related to one another, but without a tight plot. I have many ideas I want to try with the two of them so I have no idea how many chapters there will be.  
As for this chapter, I've been toying with the idea ever since the special chapter with the Kuran family. Those of you readers who follow the manga will remember Juuri's story to a young Yuuki. I was planning on making this fluffy and slightly humorous but it turned out a bit sappier than I had hoped. I'm afraid I'm not too good with sappy... In anycase, I hope you enjoy!

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**Before You Read**: The first chapter was originally a one-shot under the story title 'Pillow Talk.' It has now become a part of a series so those of you who have already read that should skip this first chapter. The series will be loosely tied together but each chapter will be able to be read as stand-alones. The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

A bus rumbled along the gray road as it navigated its way through and between towns. Looking out at the scenery rushing by, Zero distractedly ran a hand through his silver hair. It had been a long day.

It was Saturday and by all rights, he should have been enjoying a day off by catching up on lost sleep or just simply relaxing. Instead, he had been forced to make his way to the Hunter's Association Headquarters early in the morning to attend a grueling meeting. If he had been left to his own devices, he would have skipped the meeting altogether. A number of the other hunters were rather wary of him so it wasn't as if he would have been missed. But it was not to be. Chairman Cross and Master Yagari had both insisted that he attend. The latter had even threatened to bodily drag him there if the younger hunter decided not to go. Their argument was based on the fact that the ex-human hunter was a prime candidate for the position of the Association's president in the future. Zero couldn't have cared less.

It was late afternoon now and he'd reach Cross Academy by early evening. Zero sighed as he reflected that what could have been a whole day of rest had been wasted. Lately, his sleeping schedule had become even more hectic so he really had been looking forward to the weekend.

As if mirroring Zero's irritation, the overcast sky took on a more ominous darkness. A few minutes later, it began raining. The landscape that could be seen through the window gradually blurred as fat drops of rain began falling faster.

Violet eyes took this in with slight dismay. Great, the entire day had been crappy and this was just icing on the cake. The Association's Headquarters was a good distance away from the academy. Luckily, there was a bus that could take him from the town near the academy to a town near the headquarters. But both school and headquarters were rather remote, due to what they dealt with, and it took a good half hour's walk from each town to the respective locations. Even at a brisk walk, it took 20 minutes to reach the academy gates from the town and another 10 minutes to reach his room from there. Normally, this was hardly a problem but in this weather… The rain was pouring hard enough by now to completely drench anyone walking in it for more than a minute, let alone half an hour.

Zero slumped in his seat as he frowned, unwilling to get drenched. He did not have an umbrella with him since he had had no idea that it would be raining when he had left the academy in the morning. Though being a vampire meant that he wasn't as susceptible to human sicknesses such as colds, becoming drenched like a drowned rat was not his idea of fun. Now, if only luck decided to take his side for once and make this rain stop by the time he had to get off the bus…

It didn't. As usual, luck decided that it would be far more fun to make Kiryuu Zero's life difficult. Scowling, the hunter gathered his bag and rose from his seat to get off as the bus neared his stop.

As the bus slowed to a halt, Zero sensed a vampire in the vicinity. His eyes narrowed as a hand instinctively leapt to the reassuring handle of Bloody Rose. A moment later, his tense muscles relaxed as he recognized the presence. Feeling that maybe the rest of the day wasn't going to be as bad as it had been till then, the hunter got off from the bus and sat down on the bench beside a familiar figure beneath the shelter of the bus stop. Once the bus had driven away, the two were left alone.

In the ensuing quiet during which the soothing rush of rain could be heard, Zero turned to meet the warm russet gaze of his companion. "You're up early. I didn't expect to see you here."

Kaname smiled at Zero's words. Someone else might have been miffed by the blunt greeting that hardly seemed to welcome his presence. But the pureblood knew better. He knew the hunter well enough to recognize the warmth and gladness in his words and eyes.

"You weren't there so there was little reason to stay in bed till late. And it was raining. I knew you didn't have an umbrella with you." The brown haired vampire gestured towards the large black umbrella in his hand for emphasis.

Zero could feel his cheeks heat up even as his heart warmed at his lover's first comment. Kaname always spoke such words so easily and it both embarrassed and delighted the hunter. As for the umbrella… how the pureblood had known he didn't have one was a mystery but Zero wasn't complaining.

Clearing his throat in an effort to diffuse his blush, which the pureblood was no doubt enjoying, Zero nodded. "You're right. Thanks."

Kaname was indeed enjoying the hunter's blush. He found it adorable how Zero would sometimes blush at the smallest things. He was a fearsome hunter but when it came to affection he was still so innocent, though the pureblood smugly noted that the hunter was no longer quite as innocent in the matters of physical pleasure.

The younger vampire noticed the small smirk on Kaname's features and wondered what was on his mind. But something, gut instinct mayhap, told him he was better off not knowing. So deciding not to ask, Zero stood from his seat.

The pureblood also rose and opened the umbrella as he gestured for his companion to approach.

"What?" It was only as he glanced blankly at the pureblood that the confused hunter noticed that the other had brought only one umbrella. "You mean you forgot to bring mine?"

"I did not _forget_. I brought one because we only needed one. This is big enough for both of us so come on." Kaname spoke as if explaining something simple to a child.

Zero balked. "I'm not sharing an umbrella with you! I'd rather be as wet as a drowned rat. I mean, it's the kind of thing only…" Eyes widening, the hunter abruptly shut his mouth.

"Only lovers do?" The pureblood's expression was unreadable as he watched the hunter flinch at his words.

It had been a knee-jerk reaction, and the hunter regretted opening his mouth so hastily. Apparently, old habits were hard to break. "Kaname… I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Zero reached out a hand to gently grasp the pureblood's arm. He noted with a pang of regret how tense the older vampire was, though he was relieved when the pureblood didn't pull away from his touch.

There was no mistaking the hurt in his tone this time as Kaname responded after a heartbeat. "Then what did you mean? Zero, what do _we_ mean to you?"

Did Kaname have to ask a question like that _now_? Here in the pouring rain at a bus stop? But… Zero knew the pureblood deserved an answer. The hunter was always hesitant about openly showing or communicating affection. And he'd learned that the pureblood was sometimes unsure in their relationship. Kaname seemed to think himself unworthy of being loved. It had struck a chord deep inside the hunter. Zero had experienced the same even as a child with loving parents. Kaname had only recently been able to convince him to think otherwise. The hunter wanted to do the same for the pureblood.

Impulsively wrapping his arms around the russet eyed vampire, Zero pulled him close before lightly brushing his lips against the other's in a brief kiss. "You, _we_ are very precious to me. More precious than anything I've ever had. You make my heart feel things it's never felt before."

There was a moment of silence when two pairs of eyes locked. Hurt but hopeful russet met open and beseeching violet.

Kaname knew Zero was speaking the truth. And while it was no declaration of love, it soothed and healed his hurt. Love, and the admittance of it, would just have to wait. Even he had not yet said those three little words to the hunter. Their relationship was still young, and both of them were too cautious by nature. But one day…

A small smile tugged at the pureblood's lips as he stole another kiss from the hunter. "So, will you share an umbrella with me, Zero?"

Taking Kaname's umbrella-less hand, Zero twined their fingers and nodded solemnly.

As they started their walk back to the academy, Zero inquired. "You walked here? I thought you usually took a car."

Kaname inclined his head in agreement to the assessment but shrugged elegantly. "I wanted to walk back with you. In fact, I've wanted to share an umbrella with you for some time."

An eyebrow rose with curiosity as the hunter turned a questioning look at the pureblood.

Understanding that his wish could seem quaint to others, Kaname went on to explain. "When I was a child, my mother reminisced about sharing an umbrella with my father. It was sweet and Yuuki was absolutely delighted by it. I wasn't as enamored as she was but it was one of the things that left an impression on me. And recently, I've wanted to try it with you."

Knowing how strong and significant a childhood memory could be, Zero nodded in comprehension. Kaname rarely spoke of his childhood, and the hunter treasured moments such as these. Not to mention, the pureblood could be rather adorable at times…

They continued their walk in companionable silence, enjoying the peace of the streets and each others' presence. The rain seemed to enhance some senses as well and both found themselves deeply breathing in the other's scent while drifting even closer.

As he stole a glance at his silver haired lover, Kaname couldn't help but comment. "You mentioned becoming a drowned rat earlier. But I can't seem to imagine you as a rat." A teasing light danced in the pureblood's eyes but his features remained serious. "A wet kitten suits you better. A scowling, irritated, cute gray kitten."

Violet eyes narrowed in distaste as they glared at the pureblood. "A kitten? Of all the things you could describe me as, I'm a kitten?!" With a snort, Zero shook his head. "I swear, I'll never figure out how that mind of yours works."

Smiling to himself, Kaname chose to hold his tongue this time. Teasing Zero was fun, but he didn't want to annoy the hunter for real. They were no longer trading death threats anymore, which Kaname was thankful for, but the hunter had a temper. So while there was little danger of him facing Bloody Rose, Zero storming away was a very real possibility. Maybe he should have mentioned to his lover that he'd be a kitten with claws?

As they passed the academy gates, Kaname gestured towards the path that led to the Moon Dorms. "Will you come to my rooms? You can freshen up there and we could have a meal together."

He had been thinking of sharing a meal with the pureblood anyway so Zero easily agreed. "Sure. But I'd like to drop by the Chairman's house for a minute. There's something I want to pick up."

Cross had been at the meeting earlier and Zero had left before him, so the silver haired hunter expected to find an empty house where he could quickly pick up a few items before leaving. Unfortunately, it was not to be so.

Opening the door to the Chairman's house, Zero was greeted with a smiling Yuuki and an enthusiastic Chairman. The former's large doe-like eyes immediately lit up at the sight of him sharing an umbrella with Kaname.

"Oh! Umbrella sharing! That's so romantic!" Gushing happily, the girl was practically exuding sparkles.

Zero groaned while Kaname merely smiled at his sister's response. It was so like his childhood memory.

But both vampires sharply turned their attention to the Chairman at the flash of a camera. Cross was smiling giddily while singing something about cute sons and romances and lovely pictures of his children.

His left eye quickly developing an annoyed twitch, Zero held out a hand threateningly. "Give me that camera right now and I'll consider not breaking it. How did you get back so quickly, anyway?"

Cross danced out of reach with his precious camera hugged tightly, before answering. "Yagari had a car. We rode back in it."

The twitch was more obvious now as the younger hunter growled out. "And you didn't think of offering me a ride as well? I rode a bus and walked back in the rain!"

Cross either had no self-preservation instinct where Zero was concerned or he had become immunized to the younger hunter's rage. "But you had Kaname to walk you back, didn't you?" The happily chirped response ended in a yelp as the Chairman was forced to run.

Zero had had it with the Chairman's antics and was now trying to grab the camera and the picture it contained, even by force if necessary.

Yuuki chased after both while fretting that Zero was making a mess of the house with his wet shoes. "It's just a picture, Zero! It's not that bad. And you're leaving a wet trail all over the place!"

Kaname quietly watched the scene with fond amusement. This was home, and he was ever so thankful for it.

Outside, the soothing rain continued to fall.

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Thanks for reading! Please review, it'll be greatly appreciated! :D


	3. No Competition

**Chapter Title: No Competition**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed. A touch of silliness. Some mentions of mature content but not serious enough to change the rating.

**A/N**: Don't ask me where this particular bunny came from since I have no idea. It's a totally random snippet. I really like the close friendship between Zero and White Lily, and I especially adored the scene where she was chomping on his hair in the manga. Also, please be assured that I meant nothing creepy with Lily wanting Zero's attention on her. It's similar to a puppy wanting their owners to play with them. XD Once again I tried to keep things light and fluffy but I'm not sure if it's as I wanted it. Another concern is the fact that I've never written more than one or two lines for making out scenes. I hope it's alright. Enjoy!

**Background**: The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

It was barely dawn on a Monday morning. The vampires of the Night Class had retired and the humans of the Day Class had yet to wake. It was one of those few hours during which the school was truly quiet.

But for one Kiryuu Zero, sleep was elusive this morning. On any other day, he'd be getting as much sleep as possible after a late night with his pureblood lover. And soon after, he'd be rushing around in an effort not to be late for class. Yet it was different this day.

Kaname had been away all weekend on a business trip. The good thing about this was that the hunter had gotten plenty of sleep for two consecutive nights. The bad thing was… well, he couldn't believe he was going to admit this but… he missed that smug idiot of a pureblood.

Zero shook his head ruefully at his own sentimentality. It was embarrassing to admit. And yet he couldn't honestly say it didn't feel good to be feeling such emotions again after the past four years. But he'd try to keep the pureblood from finding out about that, of course. No need to further inflate his already big ego, or give him even more chances to induce blushes.

Sifting through a wooden crate full of various supplies, the young hunter picked out a coarse brush. When he made his way back to White Lily in her stall, the mare snorted softly in impatience. It had been some days since Zero had last visited his equine friend so when he'd woken early, he'd made his way to the stables. Lily had been delighted. The hunter had taken her out to the fields for half an hour or so and now intended to brush her down.

He began brushing her, starting on her left. As he brushed, White Lily turned her head to affectionately nudge Zero's shoulder. No sign of her usual ferocious temper that terrified the students could be found in this contented horse. It was obvious she had greatly missed Zero and was now basking in the attention he was giving her.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. I was busy." Firmly pushing White Lily's head back out of his way, Zero continued the brushing.

Because it was so early, the stables were mostly quiet except for the occasional soft sounds the horses made. The hunter allowed himself to relax and appreciate the simple peace. And so, when he detected a presence entering the stables some minutes later, he assumed that it was the stable master. It was a bit early for him to start work, and the soft footfalls were not heavy enough to belong to him but Zero failed to notice.

It was only when the hunter failed to hear the customary greeting of the good natured stable master that he tensed and whirled around to face whoever it was that entered.

When he laid eyes on dark hair, russet eyes and devilishly handsome features, Zero couldn't help but gape. Why hadn't he sensed anything? His hunter senses usually flared when a vampire was nearby and Kaname, a pureblood, always sent them flaring despite his presence now being familiar.

Seeing the smile playing on his lover's lips, the hunter realized he'd been staring and zoning out. How very unusual of him. A moment later, it finally hit the younger vampire that _Kaname was back_. After being gone the whole weekend, he was back and right in front of him.

Zero placed the brush in his hand on a ledge as he quickly exited White Lily's stall. A small smile tugged at his lips as well when he embraced the dark haired pureblood. Breathing in the scent of his dearly missed lover, a fact he'd never admit, Zero murmured. "Welcome back."

It was like he was being welcomed back home. Kaname felt a strange warmth spreading at the two simple words. It made his heart ache in ways that weren't painful and he found himself wanting to cry at the sensation. It was strange. Not knowing how to cope with the feeling, the pureblood simply held the silver haired vampire more tightly against himself.

Ever since the death of his parents, Kaname had never thought of a place as 'home.' But to be welcomed back like this by someone so dear… Turning his head, he pressed a lingering kiss against Zero's temple. After so many years, he had finally found a place to belong.

"I'm back." Not quite trusting his voice yet, the pureblood whispered softly.

A concerned frown settled on the hunter's features as he detected the other's strange mood. "Kaname, are you alright?"

He was met with soft russet eyes and a genuine smile as they drew a bit apart. "I've never been better."

And it was true. In that moment, the older vampire knew without a doubt that this precious, precious boy in his arms was worth everything he'd had to endure and everything he would have to face.

Zero caught the look in his lover's eyes and wondered at it. He couldn't quite decipher it but for some reason, it made him want to blush. Fighting down the flush, he swallowed. "Kaname?"

"It's nothing." Shaking his head, the pureblood changed the subject. "How was your weekend?"

Still wondering but letting the subject slide for now, the hunter answered. "Nothing special happened. Just caught up with my homework and got some sleep. By the way… I can't seem to sense you right now. As a vampire, that is."

It felt weird not to be able to sense 'pureblood' when with Kaname. Zero's hunter senses had developed early as a child, and he'd never been unable to sense vampires since then. And though he wasn't one to needlessly worry over something that might or might not be, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Was something wrong with him? He was a hunter despite being an ex-human and this was an identity he wouldn't willingly give up.

Kaname could guess at what was going on inside Zero's head and was quick to reassure him. "It's natural. I'm suppressing my aura right now. It's very unusual for a vampire to do so, which is probably why you haven't been in such a situation before. For one, only a pureblood can completely hide their aura. Also, even purebloods rarely do so since there's no need. Our auras alert other vampires that we're purebloods, and that's quite important in vampire society. But currently, I'm trying not to scare the animals here."

The hunter abruptly turned to glance at the horses and noted that all were calm. Usually, they'd panic in the presence of the Night Class but Kaname's presence in the stables was barely noticed. Well, except by White Lily. The fiery mare was glaring sharply at the being that had stolen Zero's attention.

Rolling his eyes at the horse's temper, the hunter pulled Kaname with him as he returned to the white mare. "I've never heard about that. It's… interesting. Anyway, I bet it's a useful ability when you visit the zoo."

Kaname returned the mare's gaze coolly before returning his attention to the hunter. The zoo? He'd heard of such places but vampires hardly ever went to zoos, especially nobles and purebloods due to their stronger auras. Purebloods could hide their auras and seem human, but no one did so to go to zoos. It was unheard of.

The pureblood wondered if going to a zoo was a very normal and common activity for humans. "I've never been to a zoo."

Surprised violet eyes turned to him. "What, you've never seen elephants and giraffes?"

"I've seen them in pictures and in movies but never in real life." So Zero had elephants and giraffes? Kaname felt a tendril of envy at the experiences he'd missed out on.

Zero supposed he really shouldn't have been surprised. Who could have taken the pureblood to a zoo? And Kaname certainly wasn't the type to go alone out of sheer curiosity. The hunter himself remembered the days he spent with his parents and twin, admiring the sheer diversity of the animals. They were happy memories of days when he'd freely laugh and watch everything with innocent, wide eyes. They were memories the likes of which he wanted Kaname to have.

"I'll take you to a zoo, then. It'll be like a date." Zero said with a determined air before turning to pat White Lily's nose.

The offer was unexpected but not unwelcome. In fact, Kaname truly appreciated it and nodded in agreement. But a teasing gleam shone in his eyes as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his lover's shoulder. "_Like_ a date? I'd rather it be an actual date."

Glaring with little heat at the pureblood, the hunter mumbled. "Fine, it'll be whatever you want to call it."

Nudging the pureblood, Zero gestured towards the horse they were now standing in front of. "I was brushing her earlier. Do you want to stroke her?"

Kaname eyed the hostility that the mare still exuded towards him. "No, I don't think she likes me very much."

Zero grinned. "She likes very few."

Meanwhile, White Lily was wondering what she ought to do to reclaim her silver haired friend's full attention. Ever since the other two-legged being arrived, her friend had mostly been occupied with him. And the dark haired one had even nuzzled at her friend's silver hair. The nerve! The privilege of playing with that pretty hair was hers alone. But how was she to show it? A proverbial light-bulb lit above her head and the white mare turned to chomp on afore mentioned hair. The glare that terrified so many of the two-legged beings was directed at the dark haired one at the same time.

Zero felt Lily once again chomping on his hair and exasperatedly pushed her head away. No matter how many he tried to get her to stop, that habit of hers persisted. Grimacing as he felt the wet ends of that chunk of hair, he growled in warning.

For Kaname, watching Zero interact with the horse was rather amusing. The hair biting seemed to be an often repeated issue between the two, judging by the way his lover was acting. But upon seeing how the horse was once again glaring at him, the pureblood raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure what the horse's exact thoughts were, but he recognized a challenge when he saw one. And the mare obviously was vying for Zero's attention. He remembered the hunter mentioning that he'd been interrupted while brushing the horse.

Normally, he'd pay no heed to such animals, though this one was surprisingly intelligent. But if this mare thought she could turn Zero's attention away from him, she was grossly mistaken. Kaname would not allow _anyone_ to come before himself in Zero's mind if he could help it, let alone a horse. Purebloods had a possessive nature, and this was especially true when it came to their lovers.

Stepping closer to Zero, he wrapped his arms around the hunter's waist and pulled him close. The pureblood briefly nuzzled the soft strands that the horse seemed to enjoy abusing, before trailing his lips down to a vulnerable ear.

A shiver snaked down the hunter's form when he felt the teasing nips and kisses against his ear. The hands lying against White Lily stilled as Zero struggled to steady his breath. Kaname always reduced him into nothing more than a quivering mess with little effort. To be fair, though, the reverse was also true- the hunter gave as good as he got.

Turning in the other's arms, Zero wound one arm around the pureblood's back to pull him even closer while the other arm traveled upwards. A hand buried itself in dark locks before tugging at the pureblood for a kiss. Kaname needed no further encouragement and responded enthusiastically.

Lips met and molded parting and giving way to tongues. They lost themselves in each other's taste, descending further into a sensual haze. One groaned softly into the kiss and the other replied in kind. They drew apart briefly to catch their breath only to come together again moments later as if they could not bear to be parted.

It was when White Lily nickered disapprovingly that Zero managed to tear their lips apart. Making a small sound of protest, Kaname followed the retreating lips and nipped one last time on a luscious bottom lip.

Panting and trying to gather his wits, Zero fought a losing battle with their forms so closely pressed together. "We're in the stables." Common sense was slipping in and out of his reaching grasp.

Trailing his lips against the hunter's jaw, Kaname answered. "I know."

"We shouldn't be doing this here. We really shouldn't." Zero continued to grasp desperately at common sense but his voice lacked conviction.

"Would you like to resume this in my room?" Kaname really found it difficult to figure out why the hunter was protesting so much when there were _much_ better things he could be doing with those tempting lips.

"Lily… I was brushing her." But even then he was holding the pureblood tightly to himself.

"She can wait." The pureblood ground their hips together, eliciting a hiss from the hunter at the sensations the action caused. "_I_ cannot." To emphasize, he pressed their hips together once more.

A low moan escaped Zero's lips and he couldn't help but press back. Even so, he attempted one last stab at common sense. "I have classes soon. I…" He paused as his breath hitched at the pure heat coiling in his stomach. "I don't have time."

Kaname was having none of that. He could feel that the hunter was very close to giving up and gave one last push by sucking hard on the sensitive skin by his collarbone. "Classes can wait."

Darkened violet eyes closed briefly in pleasure before fluttering open. Kaname was right. Everything else could wait. _They_ could not.

The two lovers left the stables, heading towards the Moon Dormitory with all the speed of vampires in haste.

Left in her stall, White Lily snorted. Her friend had departed so readily with the dark haired one and her attempts to reclaim his attention had been in vain. Though she was known for her stubbornness, she recognized utter defeat when she saw it. There really was no competition between her and the dark haired one.

Leaning down to take a drink of water, she could only hope that the next time her friend decided to visit, the dark haired one wouldn't be with him. Perhaps then she could finally get a thorough grooming.

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Thanks for reading! Please review, they'll be greatly appreciated! *points to pretty green button below* :D


	4. Won't Let You Hurt

**Chapter Title: Won't Let You Hurt**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed. Characters may be a little OOC.

**A/N**: This is another plot bunny that's been around for awhile. The plot is pretty simple and sweet (I hope ^^) but I had more trouble with it than expected. Usually, I just write with a general idea of what I want from the story and plan only a few lines ahead. This one, however, was a pain to write. I've tweaked it here and there but I still don't like the pacing of the whole thing. Some scenes seem too drawn out while others seem too rushed. Ah, well. I don't feel like writing it all over again from scratch so this will just have to do. I hope it didn't turn out too choppy to read. Kaname might seem a little OOC, but I thought it was plausible since he's so protective and all. :D Anyway, hope you enjoy the story.

**Background**: The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

The Moon Dormitory was quiet with most of its occupants attending class. The night was still young, and Night Classes at Cross Academy would go on for some hours yet.

Kuran Kaname, president of the Moon Dorm, however, was working in his room. A pile of papers had arrived from the Vampire Council earlier and the pureblood deemed them urgent and important enough to skip classes. So while the other vampires on campus were learning about epigenetics and quantum mechanics, he was reading page after page of political documents. The only thing that made this dull task a tad enjoyable was the company.

Zero was seated at one end of Kaname's spacious desk with a textbook open. He was quietly finishing his homework, steadily ignoring how the pureblood would occasionally watch him every now and then. It was rather distracting, making him want to blush or glare but he refrained from doing either for reacting would only encourage the pureblood. He did squirm inwardly, however, and wondered if one of the reasons why his lover had asked for his presence was to watch him blush while doing tedious paperwork. The hunter swore that it had somehow become a hobby of the pureblood.

During class changeover, the prefect had been rather surprised to see Ichijou leading the Night Class instead of the dark haired pureblood he'd expected to see. But before he could even attempt to ask, the cheerful green-eyed noble had approached him with a friendly wave.

"Kaname's working in his room. He wanted me to ask you to join him with some work of your own." The soft words had been easily heard by the hunter's keen vampire senses but lost to the Day Class students amidst their screaming. He had answered the friendly noble with a quick nod.

So now they were working and simply finding comfort in each other's presence. It wasn't very often that they had a chance to spend more than a few hours together on a school day. Even if they were each doing their own work, they appreciated this chance to be together.

Zero was turning a page when Kaname broke the silence. "What happened to your left hand?"

There was a brief pause before the hunter answered. "Nothing."

Kaname frowned. When the younger vampire used that particular tone of nonchalance, it meant that _something_ that was definitely _not nothing_ had happened. It only confirmed his suspicions that there was something wrong with the hunter's hand. Reminding himself that fussing would only irritate Zero and that the hunter seemed otherwise unhurt, the pureblood remained patient.

"You're favoring your right hand. You haven't once flipped a page with your left hand yet. What happened?"

Another brief pause followed, during which the hunter wondered if he could get away with claiming that it was nothing again. Glancing at the pureblood, he supposed he couldn't. But he really didn't want Kaname to start making a big deal out of something that was really insignificant.

"It's a bit sore, that's all." Shrugging, Zero studiously kept his attention on his schoolwork.

The dark haired vampire sighed before reaching over and grabbing the other's left arm. He wasn't about to let the matter go, especially since he sensed that the hunter was being intentionally vague. Kaname tugged the captive arm towards him to inspect the possibly injured hand.

Gently taking hold of Zero's hand, the pureblood frowned again. The pale and, in Kaname's opinion, perfect hand was marred by a bruise. The bruise was faint but to his keen eyes, the discoloration was unmistakable. It unsettled him. Vampires healed quickly, and most bruises vanished within seconds, or minutes at most. A bruise that lasted for hours usually meant that the injury was at first quite severe or that the vampire's healing had been compromised by a hunter weapon. Seeing Zero injured so reminded him how his lover could be so vulnerable at times despite how strong he could also be.

Mouth set in a grim line, Kaname continued to hold onto the hand. "This is not nothing. Why were you injured? Was it that level E?" He was aware that the hunter had been on a mission that afternoon to eliminate a level E that had been causing harm in a nearby town. Kaname knew Zero was a skilled hunter and could take care of himself, especially against a level E. But if that creature had hurt his lover… The pureblood felt fury beginning to stir in his chest.

Zero refrained from rolling his eyes upon seeing the pureblood getting worked up. He'd grown up with many bruises and scrapes so he was of the opinion that the other was overreacting. But he couldn't deny that his lover's reaction brought warmth.

"It'll fade in a little while. It really is nothing."

Though Zero tried to brush the matter off, the pureblood continued to look expectantly at him. Groaning inwardly, Zero wondered if he should just say it was the level E that caused him injury. It would cause Kaname to truly become furious, not to mention fuss over him. Still, there was nothing the pureblood could do to the already dead level E. And dealing with a worried Kaname the next time he had a mission was less embarrassing than the truth. The truth was something he didn't want to recount. But… he hated lying to his lover even more.

"A door slammed on it."

The words had the effect of a bucket of cold water on Kaname's fury. The pureblood couldn't completely hide the incredulity when he further inquired.

"You… slammed a door on your hand, hard enough to bruise for this long?"

"No." The hunter hurriedly continued in an attempt to salvage his tattered pride. "I was standing at the back of the classroom when one of my classmates slammed a door on it."

"And why did this classmate slam the door so hard? Who was it?" So it wasn't a level E but a human who had injured him? Well, no matter. Kaname considered how much he could get away with when taking coexistence and the peace of the school into account. It wouldn't be very much but he would still make sure that student understood the consequences of hurting Zero.

It wasn't that difficult to guess what the pureblood was thinking. Actually, the hunter had expected amusement and teasing which was why he had initially tried to work around the subject. But there was no amusement in his lover's set features. Zero wasn't all too fond of the student and had given him a scathing glare for the door slamming earlier, but he didn't want Kaname cornering and terrorizing the student. Besides, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

"I'm not telling you who it was. I took care of it and received an apology. It was just a mistake."

Russet eyes narrowed briefly before Kaname decided to let it go for now and focused once more on the bruise. It didn't matter if Zero refused to answer. He could ask Yuuki and find out who it was. That student, whoever it was, was in for a grueling talk on indoor etiquette and the consequences of injuring others. Even if it had been a mistake, no one could injure Zero and get away with it so easily.

Believing the conversation to be over, the hunter had returned his attention to his textbook. But he nearly gave a visible start at the sudden rasp of a warm tongue against his hand. Zero immediately tried to tug his hand away but the pureblood's hold was too firm.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kaname briefly met wide violet eyes at the question before returning to his self appointed task.

"I'm healing your hand."

Zero sat frozen as the caresses continued. Soft lips brushed against the still slightly sore and sensitive hand while that skilled tongue caused sensations that had nothing to do with healing. Heated breath ghosted across moistened skin, making the hunter's heart thud too quickly and too loudly in his ears. He could not entirely stop the slight trembling of his fingers.

"Kaname, you call this healing? You're making out with it." The younger vampire was glad that he managed to make his voice sound at least a little wry.

"Hmm?" The quiet hum was the only reply Zero received, and the gentle vibrations sent bolts of pleasure skittering up his arm and spreading through his entire frame.

The pureblood smiled at the shiver he had elicited from his lover and Zero could feel his lips gently curving against his palm. Swallowing thickly, the hunter masterfully kept quiet despite the groan that was building up in his chest and endured the treatment for another couple of minutes. When Kaname finally gave one last lick before releasing his hand, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Perhaps he was a bit of both.

Zero glared at the little grin the other directed at him, though his flushed cheeks ruined the threatening glare. Seeing the pureblood return to his documents, the hunter nearly growled.

"Has anyone ever told you how much of a tease you are?"

Dark eyes were amused as they rose to meet violet. "No, I believe you're the first to do so. But Zero, is that a complaint?"

"No. But you'd better finish what you started once you're done with that work. Preferably soon," the hunter deadpanned.

Kaname loved it when his usually reserved lover spoke so freely. Raking his eyes slowly and heatedly over Zero's body, he spoke in a voice full of promise. "You shouldn't worry. I always finish what I start."

But as much as he wanted to turn the whole of his ardent attention to the hunter, there was work that he just had to finish. Personal matters would have to wait. He was a pureblood, a prince among vampires. He could do this, even though it was very, very difficult.

A few hours later, Kaname put away the last of the papers and sighed. It had been tedious work but it was finally finished. He leaned back in his chair and glanced over at Zero who was dozing with his head pillowed on folded arms upon the desk. A soft smile graced the pureblood's features as he simply drank in the adorable sight. Zero really should be moved to the bed or he was going to wake up with an awful cramp. But the hunter looked so peaceful that Kaname couldn't help but feel reluctant to disturb him. Deciding to give him a few more minutes, the pureblood rose and silently left the room to quickly take care of something. He'd move Zero when he returned.

Kaname made his way through the darkness and entered the main school building. The vampires in the Night Class had just finished classes for the night and were filing out into the hallway. Upon noticing their dorm president's presence, they all paused and bowed their heads with a respectfully murmured greeting. But the pureblood barely took notice as he passed by, simply nodding in unspoken dismissal. Understanding this, most of the vampires swiftly complied and left the hall. Only a few of the nobles closest to the pureblood remained, unsure whether their leader wanted anything.

Kaname made no move to acknowledge them and walked down the hall to the classroom that he was looking for. It was the homeroom of Zero and Yuuki. Standing in front of the classroom door, his aura flared without warning and the door practically exploded into nothing but splinters and dust.

"Kaname, is something wrong?" Among the surprised nobles, only Ichijou had the courage to ask.

The flash of crimson in the pureblood's eyes bled away as he watched the dust settle. Perhaps he was being petty and overreacting but he felt a small amount of satisfaction. No one and nothing would every get away with hurting Zero. Eventually, he turned to the lingering vampires and offered them his usual unreadable expression.

"It is nothing. We should return to the dormitory." He had no reason to explain his action and though they might wonder, none would dare inquire further.

The next day, Zero attended class wondering why there was no door. No one seemed to know why it was gone. And when the hunter mentioned this strange occurrence in passing to Kaname later on that night, he was met with a smugly satisfied look. Immediately suspicious, he opened his mouth to question the pureblood but abruptly changed his mind and closed it again. There was little use arguing with his lover's protective tendencies and it was usually better to pretend not to notice. Besides, there was no real harm done. It was just a door.

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Thanks for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated!


	5. Happily Ever After

**Chapter Title: Happily Ever After**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed. Extreme silliness and randomness; consider yourselves warned.

**A/N**: This story is probably going to be very weird. At first, you might be confused because it seems AU compared to my other chapters but everything will make sense once you get to the end. I assure you, this is part of the same storyline as the rest of the chapters. I have no idea how I managed to come up with this but it was a lot of fun. Perhaps you'll notice that there are a number of parodies throughout the chapter which I had fun playing around with. Really, I wrote this thing in just a few hours and was grinning all the way. I just hope you don't think the whole chapter is ridiculous, though I freely admit that it is extremely silly. It's almost as if I was high on sugar when writing it. XD Anyway, I hope you have fun reading.

And a note of gratitude to Yengirl for the advice she gave me after the last chapter. I tried to keep it in mind for this chapter, though I'm not sure if I succeeded. Thanks! ;)

**Background**: The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

_Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived a young boy named Zero. He was orphaned at a young age due to unknown and complicated circumstances involving a wicked warlock named Rido. He was then raised by Cross Kaien, an eccentric man who meant well. _

_Ever since Zero first came to live with him, Cross began training him to become a knight. Though the boy complained about the training being pointless, Cross steadfastly continued with his efforts while assuring the boy that it was his destiny to become a knight. Zero did not believe in things like destiny but eventually stopped complaining and trained hard because he didn't have anything better to do._

_One fine spring day when the daisies and daffodils were in full bloom, an announcement was made throughout the kingdom. The king and queen, Kuran Haruka and Juuri, announced that the one brave knight that managed to free their only child from imprisonment and safely return would receive their child's hand in marriage. It was well known in the kingdom that the royal couple's only child had been kidnapped during childhood by Rido the wicked warlock, and was imprisoned in a faraway castle that was guarded by a ferocious dragon._

_Upon hearing the royal proclamation, many brave young knights set out to rescue the royal child and win their hand in marriage but no one was successful. Some even returned with tales of an empty, dusty castle._

_At the time, Zero was a fine young man of eighteen years. Skilled in all aspects of knighthood, those who knew him often called him the White Knight due to his pale coloring. This young knight with silver hair and violet eyes had little ambition and no interest in feats of bravery. He preferred a quiet life where he could hone his skills in solitude. He just wanted to be left alone, but Cross had different ideas._

_Cross first mentioned it some weeks after the royal announcement._

_"Zero, my adorable son! You've heard the king and queen's announcement. You really must go save their poor child!"_

_Zero's voice was flat and uninterested as he replied. "No."_

_"Why not?" Cross pouted._

_"I don't want to."_

_"But Zero! This is your destiny! This is what you've trained for all these years! And don't you even have a shred of sympathy for that poor child, locked in a castle with only a fierce dragon for company? You must go!"_

_The young knight did not even look up from his dinner as he repeated. "No."_

_"But Zero!"_

_And so their argument continued for the next 5 days, with Cross becoming even more dramatic as time passed. On the fifth day, Zero's patience finally snapped._

_"Fine, then! I'll go rescue this 'poor little' princess from that ferocious dragon or something. If I do that and return, will you finally get off my case?"_

_Cross remained blissfully unaffected by the deathly glare sent his way by his young charge and cheerfully nodded. "Of course I will. And don't forget, you'll get to be married to the one you rescue. I expect an invitation to your wedding!"_

_Rolling his eyes, Zero muttered as he prepared to leave. "I don't need marriage. But this princess better be grateful for the trouble I'm going through to free her."_

_The next morning saw Zero leaving his home. He sat tall upon his loyal steed, White Lily, with his trusty sword, Bloody Rose, at his side. He set off in the general direction of where the princess's castle was said to be. The skilled knight braved his way through a dark forest, a dank swamp, and crossed the rocky slopes of a dangerously sheer mountain range._

_It was after a week of such difficult journeying that he reached a fork in his path. He could see that each path led to a castle. He could see the two castles in the far distance. One was run down, ancient and looked very much like a place where all kinds of monsters would dwell. The other castle was in good shape and was relatively normal. He had no idea which castle he was supposed to go to so he shrugged and let Lily take the path of her choice hoping she knew which path would lead him to his target. He'd learned that White Lily was smart and had very good instincts._

_Two more days of traveling brought Zero to the castle gates. Quietly dismounting and leaving the mare outside, he warily passed through the gates. The grounds were surprisingly well maintained, but he didn't allow his mind to dwell on that as he made his way towards the castle door. It was strange how he sensed no danger around. Where was the dragon he'd heard so much of? Wasn't he supposed to fight the creature in order to free the princess?_

_Upon entering the castle itself and meeting no resistance at all, he frowned and let his hand fall from the hilt of Bloody Rose. This was strange. Even from within, the castle didn't look like the lair of a dangerous dragon. The place actually looked comfortable and luxurious and bore signs of someone living in it. Zero wasn't sure what to make of this. Perhaps he had chosen the wrong castle? Maybe he should have taken the other path earlier at the fork. But as long as he was here, he might as well make sure this wasn't where he was supposed to be._

_Wandering further down the hallway, he reached a long set of stairs. Since he didn't know his way around the castle anyway, Zero decided he might as well start with wherever these stairs led. And so began his climb. The staircase was long and had it not been for the extensive training he'd done, he would have been out of breath long before he'd reached the top._

_The stairs eventually came to an end before a wooden door. Zero turned the knob and stepped through without much thought, only to halt once he noticed that this room actually had an occupant. And when this occupant turned towards him, he realized this person was nothing like anyone he'd ever seen. Dark hair framed elegant features and russet eyes that were gazing intently at him. Zero could only describe this person as breathtaking._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you." When the silence stretched on and Zero showed no signs of moving or speaking, the occupant of the room chose to speak first._

_The smooth voice shook Zero out of his stupor and he mentally slapped himself for staring so blatantly at a complete stranger. Gathering his wits as well as he could, he nodded in greeting before turning to leave._

_"I'm sorry. It seems I came to the wrong place." Tearing his eyes away from the beautiful stranger, Zero reached again for the door. But he was frozen in his tracks at the stranger's next words._

_"Are you the one who came to free me?"_

_The young knight blinked before turning a shocked and incredulous gaze at the other. _

_"Free you? You're the princess?! But… you… you're male!"_

_Yes, as beautiful as the stranger was, he was very much a male. In fact, Zero was a bit disturbed that he had been describing the other man as beautiful. Until now, he had only ever been appreciative of the beauty of women, though he had yet to find one who really held his attention in the way this man was so easily doing._

_"I am aware that I am male. Is there any reason for me not to be?" The stranger calmly questioned with a tilt of his head._

_"I'm supposed to rescue a princess."_

_"Was that what you were told?"_

_An affirmative sat readily at the tip of his tongue but Zero paused for a moment. Come to think of it, no one had ever specified that the royal child was a she. He had just assumed because… Cursing his lack of attention to detail and the many stereotypical fairytales Cross had forced him to listen to as a child, he wordlessly shook his head._

_A small smile tugged at the corners of the dark haired man's lips. This knight was turning out to be quite amusing. Having been deprived of human company for many years, he found himself relishing this interaction. But he admitted that perhaps it was not just the lack of company that led him to enjoy the presence of this knight. He decided that he very much liked the silver haired knight's bluntness, and the fact that he was a sight for sore eyes was not unnoticed either._

_"My name is Kuran Kaname, prince of the kingdom. I'm sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting a princess in my stead. I was kidnapped by the warlock, Rido, and cursed to remain imprisoned in this castle until someone came to free me. He also mentioned that the one to free me was going to be my one true love."_

_Paling at Kaname's words, Zero could only manage a weak response. "I'm Kiryuu Zero."_

_"Well then Zero, shall we go? I would very much like to return home once more."_

_Finally managing to shake off some of the shock, Zero found many different questions crowding in his mind. But first things first…_

_"Where's the dragon?"_

_"He died," was Kaname's matter of fact answer._

_"What!? How?"_

_"He was very old. Surely you are aware that dragons are a very rare breed these days? Apparently, the only dragon Rido managed to capture was ancient and ill. He died some years ago."_

_Zero tried to keep his jaw from dropping at that. "Then why didn't you leave?"_

_"The curse kept me from leaving the castle until my one true love came to free me. And now that you're here, I can leave."_

_Trying to fight back the blush that was threatening to show, Zero argued half heartedly. "I'm not… your true love. I didn't even want a marriage when I left home for this."_

_Kaname could see that his steady gaze made the other want to squirm but the prince simply replied, "We'll see." He wondered if Zero realized that he had used the past tense in his last comment._

_As the two made their way down the long set of stairs, Zero felt as if he were dreaming. Ever since he'd entered that room, he was met with a series of unusual events. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Seeking to calm his whirling mind, he turned to his companion with a question._

_"How come you're living in such a nice castle? And how did you survive here? I mean, it's not like you can go to the market for food."_

_Kaname's eyes glinted smugly at some distant memory before he answered._

_"Rido originally intended to imprison me in a rundown castle. Perhaps you've seen it on your way here. But I outright refused to spend a day, let alone years, in such an unkempt place and demanded to be relocated. So he left me here instead. As for food and other necessities, a stork comes once a week with deliveries. Rido didn't want me dead, but neither did he want me to meet other people."_

_Zero raised an eyebrow. "A stork? How does one bird carry all the deliveries?"_

_An elegant shrug was his only answer. The knight decided the matter was not worth further inquiring. It would only cause a headache. For some reason, it seemed that physics, biology and plain common sense all looked away where this prince was concerned. Very little made sense anymore and he was on the verge of not caring about things making sense._

_His thoughts were interrupted by Kaname's question._

_"How did you know you had to come to this castle? All the other knights went to the other one."_

_Not that he was complaining, of course. As far as he was concerned, the fact that Zero was the first and only knight that found him was a good thing._

_This time, it was Zero's turn to shrug. "White Lily, my horse, chose the path that led here. It was just chance, really."_

_The prince nodded. "So it was fate that led you here."_

_"That's not what I said."_

_"It's the same thing."_

_"No, it isn't."_

_They were still arguing when they reached the castle gates. Zero opened them and walked out, expecting Kaname to follow. When he realized the prince wasn't following, he glanced back to see Kaname standing at the gates with an unreadable expression. _

_Kaname stood silently at the gates before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. For the first time in years, he was standing on ground outside the castle boundaries. He smiled._

_"Thank you, Zero."_

_Zero felt his breath catch and his heart skip a beat when his companion turned to him with a radiant smile. Violet eyes momentarily widened at the unexpected words before he too broke into an answering smile._

_Things had definitely turned out stranger than he had expected. But the usual fairytales that children were always told were boring and overrated. Zero decided that maybe, just maybe… this was better as long as they had their happily ever after. And they would have it; he'd make sure of that._

~o~

Zero felt his left eye twitching as he raised his gaze from the paper to the beaming girl in front of him.

"Yuuki, this is not what our writing assignment was about. You can't submit this."

The girl frowned as she snatched the pages away from her friend's hands. He really had no taste for excellent writing. Their writing assignment had been to write a piece with actual people they knew in situations that were touched with imagination. She was very proud of this particular work of hers and it displeased her that Zero wasn't suitably impressed.

"It's just what the teacher wanted so why can't I submit it?" Yuuki demanded.

"She said 'a touch of imagination.' This isn't 'a touch.' And that aside, you can't write about me and Kaname like that!"

Yuuki simply stuck her tongue out in a childish gesture before hugging her papers to her chest and heading outside.

Rolling his eyes, Zero called out. "Very mature. Where are you taking that, anyway?"

"I'm going to show this to my brother. He'll appreciate this piece much better than you!"

Watching the girl make her way to the Moon Dorms, Zero scowled. There was no doubt Kaname would praise and encourage his precious little sister. He always did. But there was no way Zero was going to let her just submit that. If she did, he'd be unable to face their writing teacher anymore. Quickly, he followed after Yuuki with determination.

But as he strode towards the Moon Dorms, Zero couldn't help but grin. He was so going to call Kaname 'princess' for the next few days.

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I know the 'fairytale' has a lot of plotholes but I'll just blame Yuuki for that. XD Thanks for reading! Please review, they'll be greatly appreciated!


	6. Wish Upon a Star

**Chapter Title: Wish Upon a Star**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed.

**A/N**: This chapter is the shortest one in this collection so far. But I hope it's short _and _sweet. :) It's basically just another fluffy little thing that randomly came to mind. I didn't feel like writing anything long or complicated so the scene in this one is very simple. Again, I've tried to keep the OOCness to a minimum but I'm afraid Kaname is a little OOC here, at least in my point of view. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter! Next week I'll probably update a chapter with a Valentine's Day theme. :D

**Background**: The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

The sky was clear and there was no moon, countless stars were scattered across the dark expanse. It was on such a night that Kaname found Zero lying in one of the clearings on campus. Yuuki had been the only prefect to escort the Night Class after classes just earlier so Kaname had wandered off to see if he was alright.

"Slacking off again?" Taking a seat beside Zero, the pureblood amusedly questioned.

"Mmhmm."

Kaname raised an eyebrow at the noncommittal response. He wondered what the hunter was thinking about and spoke again, hoping to elicit a slightly more verbal answer.

"You really shouldn't leave Yuuki alone to deal with prefect duties like that."

Amethyst eyes finally turned away from the sky to meet the russet gaze of the pureblood. Kaname doubted he would ever stop feeling that little thrill whenever Zero's eyes met his. No one else did so that freely and openly.

"She can handle it. And I show up for class changeover which is the hardest part of the duties, anyway. I swear those Day Class girls are becoming shriller and more determined every day."

"Be that as it may, it still means you're slacking."

Zero rolled his eyes as he waved an arm in an absently dismissive gesture.

"I know. But I really don't need you to remind me, the Chairman and Yuuki have constantly nagged and scolded enthusiastically."

Grinning, Kaname conceded that he had a point and chose not to pursue the subject further. The pureblood sat in silence for a few moments, simply watching his companion. Zero was once again gazing at the night sky, though what was so fascinating about it, Kaname didn't know.

"What are you thinking about?"

There was a brief pause before Zero answered.

"Nothing in particular. Just looking at the stars, remembering… stuff."

And because it seemed that Kaname was inclined to talk instead of join him in silent star gazing, the hunter decided to ask a question of his own this time.

"So, do you have any favorite stars or constellations?"

The answer was accompanied by a shake of the head. "No. I've never really looked at the stars other than in passing. No one suggested it and I've always been busy at night."

Right, pureblood obligations and duties and all that. Zero frowned at the thought. The more he spent time with Kaname, the clearer it became that the pureblood had rarely enjoyed the little pleasures in life. Things like star gazing and excitedly waiting for shooting stars seemed like normal childhood experiences, yet it was not so for the pureblood. Zero wanted to rail at the unfairness of it all.

Seeing his companion's frown and correctly guessing what had caused it, Kaname hid a smile. It felt so good to have someone be indignant on his behalf and wanting things for him. But he didn't like seeing Zero frowning, especially because of him. Eager to divert the hunter's mind, he parried with the same query.

"What about you? Do you have any favorites?"

Zero's frown eased into an almost wistful expression as he raised a hand to point out two stars. "Gemini."

His eyes also on the bright points of light, Kaname reflected on what he had heard about the constellations. "Ah, the heroic twins."

Zero swallowed and nodded. "Yes, the twins… It's always been my favorite…. and Ichiru's. We used to talk about how we should be just like them. Brave, but more importantly… always together."

Kaname could tell how difficult it was for Zero to talk about his twin. He also recognized the amount of trust Zero granted him to be talking about such a sensitive subject. Kaname appreciated that and felt rather humbled. He wanted to hate the younger twin for causing his lover so much pain and he hated how little could be done to alleviate that particular pain. But he would always be there for Zero. He would comfort, support and love. Reaching for Zero's hand, the pureblood squeezed tightly.

For the past several years, it had been difficult to even think too much about his twin, let alone speak of him. But Zero wanted to talk about Ichiru with Kaname. He didn't feel ready to talk about everything but talking about the good times of the past eased the ache, even just a little bit. So when he felt the pureblood squeeze his hand, he smiled softly and continued to speak.

"When we were really young, we came up with theories about what stars were. We eventually agreed that someone up there in heaven must have accidentally scattered a really big handful of salt."

Kaname chuckled. "The first impression I had about stars was when I learned that they were remote balls of burning gas."

Zero grinned and shook his head in fond exasperation. He could easily imagine a miniature Kaname looking all serious while learning astronomy at a mere 5 years of age or so. Although, it would have been nice if the pureblood had had more of a chance to be a child.

"I guess you've never wished upon a star, then?"

"No, I've heard it's a human custom but I've never done it myself."

Patting the ground beside him, Zero gestured for the pureblood to lie down.

"You can try it tonight. We'll keep an eye out for shooting stars together."

They spent the next hour in that manner. Lying side by side on the grass, they spoke quietly about school and constellations and mythology. It was incredibly relaxing and peaceful, and Zero found that he was starting to get drowsy. He'd hoped they would be able to see a shooting star tonight but perhaps it wasn't going to happen, even though shooting stars weren't as rare as people made them out to be.

There was a start from beside him and Kaname was pointing towards the Polaris. Immediately following the pureblood's gaze Zero saw the last flash of a meteor's trail.

A few seconds after the bright shooting star had faded, the hunter turned to his companion. He could see Kaname smiling, his eyes gleaming with almost childlike excitement. The expression had Zero squashing down the urge to simply kiss his lover senseless.

"So, how was it? Did you make a wish?"

With a grin, Kaname nodded. "I never knew shooting stars were so fleeting, but I did manage to make a wish. I wished that"

"Don't tell me!"

The pureblood paused and tilted his head questioningly. Zero had interrupted him quite abruptly, as if he were alarmed by the prospect of hearing Kaname's wish.

"You're not supposed to tell anyone what you wished for or it will never come true. The same goes for all wishes, not just ones wished on shooting stars. That means I'm not telling you what I wished for, either."

Apparently, it was another one of those strange human customs or superstitions. Kaname had never believed any of them. Few vampires did, especially since some of the most common superstitions were that vampires were afraid of garlic, slept in coffins and didn't show up in mirrors. Preposterous. It was somewhat surprising to find out that Zero observed some of them, but then again he had been born and raised in human culture. And Kaname found this trait amusing as well as oddly endearing. So he nodded gravely in return and refrained from speaking further on the subject.

They lay side by side in the quiet again, searching the sky for more shooting stars. But Kaname couldn't help the soft curving of his lips as he remembered the first wish he had ever wished upon a star.

_Let this last._ _This peace and love that we've found with each other after so long, please let them last._

And though he doubted whatever power a piece of rock that burned as it passed into the atmosphere was supposed to have, it didn't hurt to try. Who knew? Some wishes just might come true.

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Thanks for reading! Please review, it will be greatly appreciated! :D


	7. A Taste of Sweetness

**Chapter Title: A Taste Of Sweetness**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing about this story but the ideas.

**Warning**: Un-betaed.

**A/N**: I know this chapter took a little longer than usual, but I was busy last week. So while I really wanted to upload this on Valentine's Day, here's the chapter several days late. This one's sweet both literally and figuratively. I tried not to overdo it, but again, I can't say that I really succeeded. And it turned out with less Kaname and more Yuuki in it than I had originally planned. But I needed Yuuki in it to balance out the story and prevent it from crossing the line between fluffy and diabetically sweet. *has slight aversion to writing the latter kind though reading sometimes is fine* Typing 'St. Xocolat's Day' was fun, by the way. XD Hope you all enjoy reading!

**Background**: The assumption is that Kaname and Zero are a couple and that Yuuki was reawakened as a pureblood but loves Kaname only as a brother and remains in the Day Class with Zero to finish school. Heavier issues with the war and Rido will be ignored for these mostly fluffy stories.

* * *

The Day Class girls were unusually excited and high spirited despite the bitingly cold weather. It was like this every year, as February 14th approached. The adoring girls, and some boys, were ever so eager to give chocolates and candy to their favorite Night Class students.

This of course, meant more strenuous work for the two prefects, leading to a frazzled Yuuki and a more irritable Zero. Both were exhausted in the mornings because they had to survive on even less sleep than usual.

It was on the morning of February 12th that Yuuki suddenly thought of something that had nothing to do with eager fangirls out at night ending up drained of blood. She looked up blearily from her bowl of mushy cereal to see Zero absently chewing on a piece of half burnt toast.

"Zero, what are you going to give my brother on St. Xocolat's Day?"

The question jolted Zero out of his dazed state. It took a few seconds for his half-asleep mind to understand what the girl had said, and when he did he shrugged.

"Nothing."

The toast was as dry as cardboard and difficult to swallow. He washed the bite down with a large gulp of milk and put the remaining piece of bread back on his plate with distaste. The chairman had taken it upon himself to make 'a delicious breakfast for his hardworking children' and 'his children' had worked too hard with too little sleep to put up any significant resistance.

Zero decided that he could last until lunch, having polished off one third of a toast as breakfast and pushed his chair back. The sooner he got to class, the sooner he could take a nap. But his thoughts were interrupted by Yuuki's exclamation.

"What do you mean 'nothing'? It's St. Xocolat's Day, and you're a couple! Of course you have to give him something!"

Though she had been close to dozing over breakfast just a minute ago, Yuuki was now looking at her companion with wide, earnest eyes.

Zero sighed and distractedly ran a hand through his hair. He knew that look. She'd try to convince him and plead with him to have her way, and it usually worked. On the rare occasions it didn't, she'd then move onto scolding, bullying and eventually, blackmail. In the end, she almost always got her way. He had sometimes commented to Kaname that the pureblood spoiled the girl too much but the hunter himself hardly had the room to talk. But even knowing all this, Zero attempted to brush it off.

"We may be a couple but we're not sappy. We don't do romantic stuff and we're not observing Valentine's Day. Besides, how is it any of your business?"

Well, at least they didn't do _a lot_ of romantic stuff. Zero adamantly told himself that little incidents here and there didn't count. Sure, Kaname was really sweet and often delighted in making him blush with words and gestures. And Zero would reciprocate now and then with similar words and gestures. But that didn't mean they were a romantic, sappy couple who would eagerly follow the traditions of the overrated holiday.

Or… did it? Now that he thought about it, the hunter wasn't sure if Kaname would simply let a lover's holiday pass by. The pureblood see it as an opportunity or sorts. But Kaname always got a heap of sweets from his admirers so the pureblood wouldn't want even more sweets from him, would he?

Yuuki could easily read the hesitation in Zero's violet eyes and pounced on her chance.

"It is my business because I won't let my best friend not give any chocolates to his lover, who just so happens to be my brother, on what is the most celebrated, traditional lover's holiday around. Plus, he's going to give you something so you'd better not disappoint him!"

Actually, she hadn't asked if Kaname was going to give Zero something. But Yuuki knew her brother well enough to be pretty sure he would. He was the type who would give Zero a bouquet of roses as well if he thought he could get away with it. Of course, her stubborn and easily embarrassed friend would balk at such a gesture.

Zero paused at Yuuki's words. Well, if Kaname was going to… Having made up his mind but unwilling to stay and see her smug grin, Zero turned away. As he strode out of the kitchen, the hunter commented over his shoulder.

"Don't be late for class."

"That's my line!"

Left alone in the kitchen, Yuuki grinned smugly.

Two days later, Zero and Kaname entered the latter's room once the Night Class had been escorted back to their dorm after class. The younger vampire surreptitiously scanned the room for the large pile of chocolates and candy the pureblood had received earlier in the evening. But the room was as it always was with no sign of the sweets anywhere. Apparently, the pureblood had handed them to the other vampires. Zero had no doubt that most of them would have been falling over themselves to rid Kaname of the unwanted burden. Not to mention, they would have been overjoyed to possess sweets that had once belonged to their precious pureblood.

Zero firmly told himself that the brimming satisfaction he felt did not stem from jealousy. He definitely hadn't been jealous of those mindlessly squealing fangirls from the Day Class. Even when they had given Kaname prettily wrapped sweets and looked up at him with starry eyes when the object of their adoration had politely thanked them, the hunter had _not_ been jealous. He was just… irritated. Yes, simply irritated.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Zero's gaze returned to Kaname to see him pouring a glass of wine for himself. Shaking his head, Zero silently made his way to the couch and sat down.

Kaname watched his lover contemplatively and wondered what was on his mind. He seemed uncomfortable, a bit embarrassed and nervous about something. Maybe he ought to coax Zero into telling him what was wrong later. For now though, the pureblood hoped to distract him from whatever it was that troubled him.

Picking up a small box from a side table, Kaname joined Zero on the couch.

"For you."

Zero looked at the tastefully wrapped box that the other held out. Wordlessly, he took the offered box. It obviously contained chocolates. This was the first time he willingly accepted sweets for St. Xocolat's Day. Yuuki's awful homemade chocolate had been shoved into his mouth without allowing him a chance to protest so he disregarded that.

"Thanks."

Opening the box, Zero saw half a dozen pieces of dark chocolate, all of them delicately and intricately decorated. He was almost sorry that they were meant to be eaten. Gently closing the box, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, plain box. As he gave it to Kaname, the hunter was secretly relieved that he'd listened to Yuuki this time. Not that he'd let her know that. She'd never stop being smug if she knew.

"It isn't much and it's just a little something that I made but it should taste alright."

This was also the very first time he was giving someone anything for St. Xocolat's Day and Zero found it quite awkward. But seeing Kaname smile as he accepted the gift was worth it.

"Thank you, Zero. Home-made gifts are definitely precious and I'm sure these taste better than alright. After all, you're a great cook."

Kaname then proceeded to open the box and put one piece of chocolate in his mouth. The pureblood felt his smile deepening in surprised delight at the blend of creamy chocolate and sweet caramel. Zero knew he had a bit of a sweet tooth and apparently, he had made the confection accordingly. This was definitely better than 'alright'. The knowledge that the hunter had personally made it only sweetened the taste further.

Seeing Kaname's delight on his features, Zero was relieved. It felt good to have his effort appreciated. So he in turn took out a piece of chocolate from the box that he'd been given and let it melt on his tongue. And though he was no lover of sweets, it was surprisingly good. The dark chocolate and espresso filling gave it a slightly bitter tang and lessened the sweetness. It suited the hunter's tastes.

As if reading Zero's mind, Kaname spoke.

"Since you don't like sweet food, I thought you might prefer those. Was I right?"

The younger vampire nodded.

"Yes, it's really good."

Pleased at his lover's answer, Kaname leaned in closer. The pureblood's smile turned teasingly seductive as his lips hovered a few centimeters away from Zero's.

"That's good to hear. May I have a taste, then?" Kaname questioned.

Kaname's words made little puffs of warm breath stir against Zero's lips, causing them to tremble ever so softly. Zero was willing to bet Bloody Rose that Kaname wasn't thinking about trying a piece of the chocolate himself to 'have a taste.' And since they were in the privacy of the pureblood's room, it wouldn't hurt to just go along with it. Maybe he could even take the initiative this time.

Kaname hummed softly in content when Zero responded to his query by closing the distance between them. Unhurriedly, lips parted for questing tongues and each took their time in sampling the other's chocolate. The sweet aftertaste mingled with their own unique flavors made for an exotic experience.

Some minutes later, Zero pulled back. By then, both of them were breathless. Violet eyes rested briefly on the other's kiss swollen lips and darkened further. Reaching over and taking a piece of his home-made chocolates, the hunter placed it against those lips. Kaname understood what was being asked of him and let Zero feed him the sweet.

"I want another taste."

Kaname was perfectly happy to comply with Zero's demand and allowed his lover a taste almost before he finished speaking.

As they continued to kiss, taste and explore, Zero decided that maybe St. Xocolat's Day wasn't so bad after all. And it turned out that although he really did like the ones the pureblood had given him; his favorite chocolate was the kind that was flavored with a hint of Kaname.

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, it'll be greatly appreciated! :D


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